A small fleet of 17 dinghies took to the estuary for the Annual Commodore's Cruise on Saturday 23rd July. With the tide ebbing and the light breeze on the nose the fleet tacked its way down to Dawlish Warren where they managed to cross the stream and land in 2 distinct groups!

6 new Training Oppies arrived just in time for the new Junior season. Thanks to the John Merrick Trust and the Eric Twiname Trust for generous grants and hard work from Andy Utting, the new acquisitions double the number of Oppies available for the Juniors.

With regatta results of 2,2,2,1 it all hinged on the final race for the Devon Sailing Team (40% SYC members) at the Gocek Audi Regatta in Southern Turkey.

'We'd proved the boat was quick but we needed to be absolutely at the top of our game to put our key rivals away,' said skipper Keith Wheatley. Last year we chartered an Oceanis 43, comfy but slow in light winds. This time we had less space and more pace on our Hanse 350.'

So a second regatta this year for the SYC Devon Racing Team. This time the event was Fowey Race Week rather than the sunny waters of southern Turkey.James Bowman, Michael Bagge and Keith Wheatley entered Keith’s boat Sanika, a 31-year-old Contessa 27, in one of Cornwall’s most popular regattas.The forecast was for strong easterlies, less than perfect for the 22-mile passage race from Falmouth to Fowey on the first day. The Met Office did not lie. It was brutal, with constant upwind sailing and big seas off the legendary Dodman Point.

“It took five hours and we were soaked, bruised and tired but managed to come in fourth in class,” said Keith. “Sanika is not that quick but a long race and a generous handicap worked in our favour.”

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